Twitter Talk edition 2: Tim Lovejoy

This week's Twitter Talk sees me catch up with Television personality and Chelsea supporter Tim Lovejoy. Tim was the host of popular football show 'Soccer AM' for eleven years, and now hosts 'Sunday Brunch' on Channel 4.

1.Do modern journalists have to be on Twitter? Would your job be more difficult without?

Yes they do as so much news is now broken on Twitter. I’m still working out how important it is for my job.  

2. There have been a few spats between journalists and players in recent months, what is your opinion about this phenomenon?

Players shouldn’t get involved. If you’re in the public eye people will critique you! Some people will hate you and some people will like you, it’s just a fact of life. 

3. How big a role do you think Twitter plays in modern football, what with the amount of players who tweet?

I think it’s fantastic for the fans. In recent years players have been treated like gods and removed from the public eye by clubs and PR. Whilst producing Soccer AM we found we were getting less access to the players every season and would only be able to get them through their boot sponsors. I always thought this was not a great, but understandable. Now Twitter has given the fans a chance to hear from their players again. However, in the future I think players will just post and not respond as there are too many spoof accounts and idiots who will try and wind them up.

4.    Footballers are now viewed as role models for younger people, do you think Twitter helps them in this role or makes it more difficult?

As I’ve always said, I got my morals off my parents and peers, not Kerry Dixon. They’re blokes who play a sport, calling them role models is just another way people can criticise them. It’s up to the people who run football to set the moral standards and the problem being they don’t punish bad behaviour off the pitch or cheating on it. They’re the ones who are not setting the right moral guidelines, players are just trying to win.   

5    5.   Is it right for managers to ‘ban’ twitter, as has happened at some clubs?

I think it’s hard to do. I feel they need an education on how to use it. i.e. don’t respond to idiots winding them up and drop this idiotic ‘banter’ ethos that they’re all getting labeled with.

6. How many people get into contact with you? How much of this is positive/negative?

Thousands. Some good, some bad. Football tweets always drags out the idiots.

7. What’s the funniest tweet you’ve ever received?

I just like the sharing of football clips URLs. It’s what keeps me coming back.

8.    What football figure would you love to see on Twitter? 

I suppose Zizou as he’s the greatest!